Yuuri! in Space
by Lilachason
Summary: Here's the rub. Not everyone got a choice when it came to being out here. Not everyone got a choice where they ended up. And out here no one could decide what the worst part was. Because Victor was alone. Because Yuuri had failed. And also Yurio was allowed to drive the spaceship. Oh good. Everything is falling apart. This is going to end poorly... UPDATED SUMMARY
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Viktor Nikiforov is fine.

sure,

There are things that Victor hates about his job.

The quiet.

Good god the silence is deafening. He knows why, Leo has probably explained it to him a thousand times. "There is no air in space, no where for the sound to go."

Yes, it makes sense, Leo, it makes so much sense, but when he is floating out there and all he can hear is his heartbeat, his own breathe, everything, everything loader because there is nothing nothing else.. It's a bit hard to internalize.

Besides Victor's never been especially great at quiet.

The affect it has on his body isn't ideal either.

Sure they generate gravity but it's not the same. Victor can never get his groundings when he's out here. The first few months he bumbled around the hallways like a leopard pumped full of narcotics (Yurio's words not his)

The loneliness at night.

That's what they should tell you when you agree to leave.

But then there are the things Victor loves about his job.

The weightless

The grace

The power

Fixing whatever needs to be fixed in space.

Say it like that and it doesn't sound glamouorous, but mechanics are a rare commodity.

Not only do you have to find someone brave enough (or idiotic enough) to stand in the vacuum, to take orders no matter what they are, you have to find someone strong enough to force the ship together, graceful enough to move about astroid clusters, enough isn't nothing in space.

That's what Victor loves.

Yes.

The grace.

The power

even if he can't share it.

Victor

He loves

When he was 11 he left his planet, they said he was too young.

When he was out there and everyone was so surprised

There are things that he hates but he's fine

He's fine

after all

Everyone's watching him, he can't fail, he's the rising star, everyone is watching to see him fall, he won't, he promised himself, oh god… Viktor Nikiforov is fine.. because this is what he does.

He surprises people and they stay by him

it's fine that he can't tell anyone when he's scared

he has his friends

it's fine that he is so lonely the quiet seems comforting

He can he his heart beat

tired of feeling never enough

it's fine

so long as he doesn't fail

fall

break

as long as he keeps surprising everyone

making history

That's what they should tell you when you agree to leave.

Viktor Nikiforov is fine.

—-

Yuuri Katsuki's world is falling apart

He failed.

Sure, he has been a mechanic on this ship since he was 11. He has never even slept on a planet for more than a night. This was his whole life.

and yet.

He is expendable. No matter how valuable a mechanic is. the Ice Castle has thousands of Yuuris. He failed….

Oh god he failed and they are never going to forgive oh god he let everyone down.. and now. He presses he hands to the sides of his temples, holding himself together. A sob is building in his chest but no. He always cried to easily.

oh no.. they are coming. he needs to leave. needs to get out but..

Where would he go?

The void may be better than what is coming but he's too much of a coward. He could never go through with it. Unless… No that's not how they punish. That's too much of a mess.

There's only one procedure for mechanics like him. Execution and disposal. If he was strong maybe he could escape but he's weak. He always has been and now he always will be.

Yuuri holds himself closer and lets a few tears escape. After all he always was a crybaby.

No point in changing that now. Not much point in changing anything now.

Yuuri's world is falling apart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Guess who forget to put an authors note on the previous chapter. Me. I did.**

Chapter 2

SLaM

Victor's door flies open. Strange. Victor didn't think that it was time to get up-

"VIctTOR!" Ah. Yes.

Yuri -in his usual "polite" demeanor- seems to have broken into his room. Actually no, he appears to have gotten into Victor's room perfectly legally, with Victor's key.

Fantastic. Good galaxy, who gave his room key to this сердитый кот (angry cat)? Victor is still not fully lucid when Yuri storms over to his bed rips the covers off his body and yells.

"Get out of bed, you lazy garbage!"

"Oh hello Yuri."

"NArgh!"

"Is that meant to be intimidating?"

"You forget."

"Urmm well.."

At this point Makkachin has clamored over and is scanning Yuri for potential threat level. He than gets distracted by Victor and climbs on his bed instead. He's not a very good defense robot.

"You are truly the epitome of morons. Other morons look to you when they ask themselves how to be more moronic. Also your robot is useless"

"Nice insult, you've taken away some of the angry cat and replaced it more with a layered barb. Did Otabek help you with it? Also my robot is more intimidating than you"

There was so little entertainment to be had that riling Yuri up has become everyone's favorite pass time. Victor's favorite method is offering critical analyses of Yuri's insults.

"Shut it, idiot."

Yuri does not approve.

"You. Are going to teach me. How to land this проклятие spaceship."

Yuri skulks off muttering about how the lack of gravity was affecting Victor's already limited brain cells.

Sigh. Well, a forgotten promise can only be put off for so long. Stretching and groaning, Victor drags himself to the control module.

—

"Yurio, you need to listen to me. Landing a spaceship is not like flying a plane." Victor reminds Yuri again.

Yuri crosses his arms and taps his foot impatiently. Never one for patience this one.

"You've told me this a thousand times old man. Let me land. The faster we get there the faster we can leave. And don't call me Yurio!"

He's not wrong. Sector 9 is a scrapyard of a planet. Anarchy at its finest.

Victor nods, steeling himself.

"Now, you are not actually steering the ship. The computer is, you just need to tell the computer what you want."

Yuri nods, but he's not listening. His eyes are zeroed in on every button. Completely focused. That's what a pilot needs to be. So steps back Victor lets him fly. HE takes a couple of deep breathes. No need to freak out. Just his mentee landing a 3 ton spaceship in one of the most hostile training ports. Oh god… but really, there isn't a need. Yuri knows this, he knows the computer, he knows this job. Just like Victor. But, there is something wholly different about Yuri. It's like the stress of being up here slips away. Victor has heard of pilots entering a different state of consciousness, where it's just you and the space in front of you. Where nothing else matters.

When Victor pilots, it's nothing but stress. Stress and wondering when it will be over, or if this will be the time he gets his whole crew killed.

When will they be there?

"Victor, we are descending."

And so they are, He must of have been daydreaming.

Victor swallows the lump in his throat. There is nothing to be scared of. Just a planet thrown into anarchy. Just the worst the galaxy has to offer.

The pod door opens. Victor grabs Yuri and prays nothing unexpected will happen because Victor knows space. He knows surprises out here are never welcome.

—-

Yuuri can't stop shaking. He knows what's coming. He knows what the Ice Castle does to mechanics who fail. Yakov's policy does not allow for failure. Yuuri let a meteorite crash into his ship. Sure, it didn't hit anything vital; if it had, he, along with everyone else on this spaceship, would already be dead.

Maybe that's the problem.

The fact that it could have been so much worse.

Or maybe Yakov just doesn't feel like paying to replace first the window, and then to keep Yuuri around.

That's at least what he said in between "interrogation" sessions (a supposedly lesser form of punishment aboard the lovely Ice Castle.)

When it comes down to it, Yuuri simply isn't worth keeping.

So they are getting rid of him. It makes a terrible sort of sense; Yuuri just wishes they would get on with it. Hurry up and do whatever it is they are going to do. Because Yuuri can't stand this waiting anymore. He's sat in his room. He's taken down and put back up pictures and posters (mostly pictures and posters of Victor and the rest of the explorers).

He even asked about his family.

Still no word.

There is nothing left to do. This needs to needs to be over. Please let this end.`2q1

He's thinking this and then, Chris saunters into the room.

Yuuri has changed his mind. He wants them to wait much much longer. He shrinks back in his bed. It won't help.

Chris laughs. "Are you inviting me to bed, little piggy?"

Yuuri grimaces. He hates nicknames. He hates the fact that Chris is joking (although in this case he supposes it would be worse if he wasn't joking.)

"What's going to happen to me?" Yuuri whimpers.

Chris laughs again. He leans in an Yuuri leans further into the wall "You are going to follow me to Yakov. Then he will administer proper discipline."

He doesn't want to get up. He doesn't want to know what is going to happen to him. The horrible scenarios running through his head, yes, they are horrible but, they aren't real. This will be real. This will be what ends him.

He doesn't move so Chris grabs him and roughly forces him out of bed. "Look. You can walk or I can fit you with handcuffs and drag you like a slave. It's up to you."

Well, so long as he asked nicely...

Yuuri stands up, willing his legs to not give out from under him. He can do this. He can walk headfirst into danger. He is not afraid. It's okay. He is fine.

If he just keeps lying to himself...

—-

Yakov's office has a window.

That would be a stupid last thought to have but it's just so impractical.

Yakov's window properly costs enough to keep a family aboard this ship. But he owns the fleet, which makes him god.

He gestures for Yuuri to sit down looking him up and down calmly.

"I think this would go smoother if we skip the pleasantries." He sneers.

Yuuri nods, not trusting himself to speak. His hands are still shaking.

Everything is already so awful, does he have to spend his last moments shaking?

"You have cost this company a lot of money, young man."

Yuuri nods again.

He would blubber and apologize all over again if he thought it would do any good.

"I'm afraid our economists have compared your estimated opportunity cost to that of the window and have come up short."

A window. He was worth less than a window. That's what they mean by opportunity cost.

Yuuri feels like he might cry again. Or throw up. He puts his head in hands.

Yakov sighs. "Such a shame. You were a hard worker too, not particularly talented, but at least you weren't lazy."

Anger wells up in Yuuri but he holds himself still. Yes, he worked hard, not like Lila or Chris, not like anyone in Yakov's "family".

Yakov sighs again. "Shame. Well, I suppose I can at least tell you what we are going to do"

Yes, at least they won't leave him in suspense.

"We are making a trip to Sector 9. There we will pick up a slave mechanic, new supplies for a window… and we will unload you."

"But Sir! If you leave me there.. I-I'll be dead or sold in a matter of days, no, hours at best." Yuuri's heart is in his throat. Somehow this is worse than any of his scenarios.

No one survives on Sector 9 without a crew.

"Yes. We talked that over too. My family and I have agreed, eliminating you before a ruffian can would be much kinder. Chris has reserved one of the entertainment squares for a public execution. We will be there in 40 minutes. I suggest you get your affairs in order."

Well, at least they had the decency to tell him. Yuuri sees his world spin, and then fade to black.

 **Updates every Monday (she said knowing damn well she would break that promise at some point.)**

 **Review to give space a hug (or to Yuuri) Or space.**

 **Also I promise Victor and Yuuri will meet soon. I don't have the patience for a slow burn.**

 **One more thing- Chapter lengths will vary widely, sorry about that.**

 ***wanders out***


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

—

Victor steps out of the space ship.

—

Yuuri is dragged to the Brig. Chris was worried he would try to escape. He takes his last free steps without realizing it.

—

Phichit decides to accompany Victor. Says he has an experiment he wants to run on the soil. Victor glances around nervously, he just wants everyone to stay safe.

—

Yuuri asks if he gets a last meal and is rewarded with a black eye.

Well, it was worth a shot.

—-

Victor is scared.

—-

Yuuri is terrified

He is dragged out of the space ship and onto the planet.

Faces leer at him as he is dragged past.

Something's funny.

Yuuri must have missed the punchline.

—

Victor sees him. Messy brown hair, short frame, gorgeous eyes, struggling. He's wearing a mechanic badge.

Why are they tying him up?

—-

Yuuri wishes they would have told him how they were going to do it.

He knows now that he doesn't care about why.

To make an example of him.

To save money.

Petty revenge.

Why doesn't matter,

not really,

but how?

then

he sees the noose

yes, Right now, how matters very much indeed.

—-

They are going to kill him.

Victor covers his mouth in horror.

this will never seem right.

He sees Chris walk out.

His mouth curls in disgust.

He can no longer stand by.

this will never be let go

—-

Yurri's still shaking

The crowd is gathering

Now what could that be for.

Oh…

this is going to be one of those

Chris could never resist a show

it'd almost be funny

except it's not

—-

Victor did not expect this.

Chris is going to hang him.

What? Didn't want to pay for bullets?

He didn't think even the Ice Castle would sink so low.

Chris grabs the poor soul

and leads him

So Victor does what Victor does best

stops thinking

acts without reason

when reason won't do anything

he will

so

He runs up on the stage and shoves Chris out of the way.

"STOP!"

He turns and sees a crowd of angry criminals and pirates, whose entertainment he has just interrupted.

Worse. He turns to Chris.

Chris takes out his gun.

"Victor?!"

shit.

Sorry for the short chapter everyone! This week ended up being really busy. Also I was actually sorta kinda proud of this chapter? Well next one will defiantly be longer *laughs nervously*

Review to punch Chris in his face (although I actually love Chris in the show)


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow. A chapter that isn't less than five hundred words. Look at me go.**

Chapter 4

Yuri sighs. "Victor is an emotional idiot with no respect for planning or forethought," is a sentence that Yuri is forced to think at least 5 times a day.

Yes, they were indeed here to buy fuel and food.

And Yes! Victor did indeed lecture Yuri at least fifty times

times about the dangers of Sector 9. And yes, Victor just ran up on the stage to fight with one of the most dangerous fleets in the galaxy for a man he has never met.

Idiot.

—

Victor Nikiforov has just run up on the stage. This last stage, Yuuri is meant to die , Victor Nikiforoy..

Yuuri must be going into shock. That's it. That's all.

That's the only only reasonable explanation for this. That's too bad, he didn't want to spend his last few moments in shock. But there Victor is.– Victor, who Yuuri had admired for as long as he has known there were other fleets. Victor the explorer. Victor. Standing in front of him. Blocking Chris. Or hey, hey, maybe Yuuri was already dead. This could be what happens after you die.

But no there was no way that this was heaven if Chris was here,

and he doesn't want Victor to be in hell.

—

"Christophe! Hello!" Victor shouts nervously, wringing his hands together.

Right.

What has he gotten himself into? That's a good question. One Victor doesn't have an answer for.

"Victor?!" Christophe sounds surprised. Hey, that's reasonable. It's not everyday your public execution gets interrupted by your former shipmate.

annnd now he is being hugged. Great. Okay. This is excellent.

"It's been too long."

No, no it hasn't.

If Yakov wasn't still alive, perhaps Chris may have the title of "worst human being in existence."

Victor was so excited to never see either of them again.

No, more than that, Victor had needed to go his whole life without seeing them again. He had run away. He could have run away this time but then, why didn't he?

"Christophe," Victor repeats, fake enthusiasm breaking apart, nose cringingly in disgust.

"Well, not that it isn't nice catching up with you, but I'm kinda in the middle of something here," Chris drawls.

Right

Okay. Okay. Victor needed to remember.

He needed to focus. He was not up here to hug Christophe (no, that was definitely not the case).

He was here to get the mechanic off the stage.

He was here;

He was here because he can't let something this familiarly awful play out right before him.

He can't. He won't. He is here.

"Actually," Victor laughs nervously, "That's what I am here for. You see," He glances down, the prisoner is cowering into the wall. His head is bowed in shame

Victor isn't going let them do this. Not when he can stop it.

"Could I buy him?"

—

Yuuri wants to run

but he's tied to the stage

he wants to speak

but there's a gag in his mouth

and

he wants to laugh

but hey, that would be horribly inappropriate, right?

But okay, just look at the ridiculousness of the situation. Victor. Victor goddamn Nikiforov. Just offered to buy him? Yes. Yes. That is what is happening. He looks so real.

He looks so real, but none of this feels real because Yuuri should be dead. Yuuri should have been dead.

Chris is laughing now.

"Sorry?" He sneers at Victor. It's good to know that Chris finds this situation equally ridiculous.

"Look. He's a mechanic right?" Victor desperately gestures to his badge. Standing in front of him, he seems so real. Yuuri wants him to be real.

If only this could be true.

If only Yuuri could leave, and be anywhere but here, could he get something out of this life?

"What are you getting out of this?" Victor spits out. Why would he care? What does he want? Doesn't he know there are better ways of gaining a mechanic?

Of getting help that's less broken?

It wouldn't be hard.

Chris laughs again. If there is one sound Yuuri won't miss it's that mocking sound. "Victor. I can promise you he isn't what you want. He's a truly terrible mechanic. He broke our ship."

Yuuri makes a sound of protest. A window. Yuuri broke a window. Not an entire spaceship. Let that be clear.

Chris' foot collides with his ribs.

Well, he supposes clarity isn't that important.

—-

Victor does not see red. That is what they say happens when your this angry. But no he does not see red, he just sees getting this man off the stage.

What the hell give the Ice Castle the right?

The broken man has tears leaking out of his eyes.

"I think we will be fine," Victor growls, barely restraining himself. He could end this here. Leap on Chris and not let go. Not let anyone else get hurt, but he knows he won't win so he settles on, "My ship has a very successful training program."

Chris still looks skeptical.

"Look. You could hang him." Victor's voice is desperate now, the pleading bleeding through with every word. "You could kill him right here, but what would you get from that? Nothing. If you let me buy him, you will profit from his mistake. Here." Victor takes out the cash he brought with him.

It's all of his salary. 600 units. Christophe licks his lips.

The greedy bastard.

Just let. him. go. God. He shouldn't care. The Ice Castle can't control him. The Ice Castle, it doesn't affect him anymore.

Than why is he standing here?

He glances over the mechanics eyes meet Victor's. Brown and sweet. Victor bets he doesn't deserve this. Victor tries to give the man a reassuring smile.

It's not terribly reassuring.

"Fine. Fine. You can have the piglet. You were never too wise with resources, were you?" Chris laughs again, "jokingly" punching Victor on the arm. Victor flinches and wonders how this creature manages to take so little seriously, when taking so much from everyone else.

"But Victor…"

"What." Victor spits out.

"I just want to let you know. I'll have to report this to Yakov, and if he decides he wants the piglet back, for any reason, you would be unwise to refuse."

Still need to be in control, don't they?

monsters every last one of them

—-

Once again. Victor has made a complete fool out of himself.

How fucking surprising.

Yuri doesn't get paid nearly enough to deal with this shit. Seriously, Victor?! Let's just reiterate for a second. We we here to get fuel. Fuel and supplies. Not stop a public execution. And yet. Here we are. Yuri sighs and kicks the nearest rock.

This had better not escalate any further.

—-

Victor? Yes, yes. He's picking Yuuri up. He's untying him.

Why is he being so nice to him?

Yuuri doesn't deserve this. He wonders how long it will take for Victor to figure that out. But… Victor. Victor Nikiforov is saving him. He's not going to die.

Yuuri isn't going to die.

Oh god.

He's… not going to die

So despite everything, despite the fact that his world is just a step away from falling out from underneath him, he smiles. Before he can stop it, crazed laughter escapes his chest, he throws his arms around the explorer. It's not normal but who cares? Because how is any of this even close to being real (which he is still somewhat convinced it may not be). Because this morning he couldn't stop shaking and now?

Now he's walking away with his hero.

—-

Is it normal for someone you just saved from being killed to be laughing? No, it's probably not. Not important now. Victor rushes Yuuri off the stage. Sparing a glance for Chris, he's still smirking. Victor shudders, will he ever stop being a creep?

"Are you okay?" Victor asks

That was a stupid question.

The mechanic bobs his head up and down, still grinning.

Victor rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. It is slowly dawning on him what he just did. He spent a majority of his savings, the money he needed to make repairs, in order to save this mechanic. A man he has never met. A man he doesn't even know the name of.

That actually might be a good place to start.

"Um… So what do I call you?" Victor must have lost his ability to communicate with people. That's probably not good.

"I suppose you can call me whatever you want. You just bought me, after all." His words were meant to be harsh but, they come out a broken whimper.

"That's, uh, not what I…" Why, Victor. Why can you not talk today?

The man head shoots up like he just realizes what he said.

"I'm s-sorry my name is Yuuri- please don't"

Victor shakes his head, he would never hurt Yuuri. He opens his mouth to say just that.

But than they reach Yuri. Yuri who is in a constant state of anger. Now (no matter how convenient it would be) is not going to be the exception to that rule.

—

Yuri Plisetsky. He's an explorer too. Yuuri's smiling again. What a terrible mix of emotions.

Here they all swirl together

mind-numbing fear and relief

but Yuuri doesn't want to be crazy and that's what crazy people do. Smile when they were about to be killed. Smile even though everything is falling apart.

And Yuri looks so angry. He's walking toward them. Yuuri tenses every muscle in his body. He needs to be ready. Ready to run. Or fight. Or give up.

Just because they are explorers. Just because Victor rescued him. That doesn't mean Yuri can't. Can't punish him. Or treat him just like Chris and Yakov. There. Yuuri's stopped smiling. He's back to shaking.

—

"You moron," Yuri snarls at Victor.

Ah, yes. That was about the reaction Victor was expecting. This doesn't make sense what he did. Still.

"Yuri," Victor starts in a calm voice. Just calm the angry pilot down. Than Victor will go from there.

"Don't 'Yuri' me. What the hell the hell were you thinking. Now we owe a debt to the Ice Castle is that what you want?!"

"What did you expect me to do? Let him die? Let Chris kill another innocent person."

"Exactly."

Yuuri flinches.

"You should have let him hang. You should have put your crew first." Despite the anger Victor can hear the fear in Yuri's voice. He doesn't want to owe the Ice Castle anything.

Neither does Victor.

Victor opens his mouth to respond, to say something, anything, that can justify his actions. Then he turns and sees Yuuri. Standing as still as a statue, jaw clenched, pale. He's trying desperately not to cry.

Something twists in Victor's gut. This needs to stop.

"We'll discuss this on the ship okay?" He forces out apologetically.

"Like hell we will-" Yuuri has started to look around. Looking for an escape route. They are scaring him. Yuri is scaring him.

"Yuri. Get on the ship. Now" He snarls. No more apologies.

He needs his crew to listen to him. He needs to get off this planet. He needs everyone to be safe.

Yuri looks at him in surprise. Has he ever heard Victor raise he voice like that before?

Victor walks over to Yuuri cautiously, like approaching a wounded animal. He reaches out arm and gently puts it on Yuuri's shoulder. Yuuri shudders and looks up at Victor his lip trembling.

"Hey, sweetheart, can you listen to me?" Victor asks softly reaching out to his shaking form and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Yuuri whimpers in fear but stays rooted to the ground. He nods.

"We are not going to do anything to hurt you. I promise. You're one of us now okay? An explorer."

—-

An explorer.

Yuuri Katsuki could be an explorer. Sweetheart, Victor called him sweetheart. And this is when he know there must be something deeply wrong with him. Because he has been dreaming about this moment for as long as he knew there were other spaceships. And yet, all he can feel is sick. Sick with fear and relief and too many emotions.

There is just too much.

All he can do is nod numbly and follow Victor back silently. He isn't allowed to cry in front of them. That's the first rule. Everyone always hated it when he cried, hated him. He's knows it's going to happen again. That' just what Yuuri does. But selfishly he wants to put it off for as long as possible. He doesn't want them to figure out, at least not right away, because that mean punishment. Even though he deserves it.

So he stays silent.

—

Yuri Plisetsky does not feel bad. Nope, not in the slightest. Why should he? Sure, the pathetic whelp that Victor brought back seems terrified. And sure, that's mostly his fault. But you know what? Yuri doesn't feel bad. Why? Because he said so, that's why.

Still. That look reminds him of something he thought he had stopped thinking about a long time ago.

—

This ship is less clean then the Ice Castle. It's not gross by any means, it looks well taken care of, but it doesn't have that look. Like someone had rubbed their hands rough making sure every surface gleamed. It looks normal. Yuuri wonder how long that will take to change. He wonder how long he is going to have to wait to screw everything up.

He looks to the left and he he jumps back a solid foot. A metal contraption is bounding toward him. It's going to kill him. It's going to punish him. They are teaching him a lesson. He should have been more respectful.

He closes his eyes waiting for the impact to come.

Nothing happens. He lets out one shaky breath. Two. Three. Ever so slowly he opens his eyes. It's a dog?

Or at the very lease it's in the shape of a dog. And it's sitting at Victor's feet like a dog.

Victor meets his eyes and smiles at him. It's the same smile from when Yuuri was up on that horrible stage. Concerned, reassuring, far prettier than it has any right to be.

"Sorry, I know Makkachin can be a bit overwhelming." He pats the robots head. It thumps it's tail on the ground in response.

"If by overwhelming you mean, loud, unnecessary, and annoying, then yes. He is 'overwhelming'." Yuri quips.

Makkachin trots over to Yuri and nudges his head in his hand.

"Y-you have a robot dog?" Yuuri manages to squeak out. He can't believe he didn't know that.

"Yes." Victor says proudly. "Come on, I want you to meet the rest of my crew."

Yuuri tenses up again. But he can't refuse. No he can't even act afraid. Why is he still standing there? He captain just gave him an order. He stumbles over himself trying to obey fast enough. If he can just act right this time. Victor gives him a strange look.

Never mind, it looks like he already failed at even that.

He'll just focus on holding himself together. On being whatever this crew needs him to be. He'll just be "fine"

Yeah right….

But than maybe… maybe he just needs to accept that he doesn't belong here.

He looks at Victor. He needs a way off.

Well that chapter got a bit more angsty than I thought it would but hey it worked out.

As always feedback (including things to improve on) is always appreciated.

Fujosheee KH freak 813 midnightsky0612- You guys have been so supportive of this story and I can't even express how much I appreciate it. I know I am probably getting annoying (with the thank you PMs and what not) so I'll back off after this, but it means the world to know people care about this world.

Also thank you to the following guest reviewers- Inkstain and IRL- even if you don't have an account your input is still valued.

Okay I've rambled enough.

Review to go to SPAAAACE (sorry I promise I'm done now)


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry...**

Chapter 5

Victor isn't stupid (okay, according to Yurio he is, but that's beside the point)

He knows Yuuri is terrifed. He can see it in the way he moves. The way he flinches at every sound or movement.

He knows why Yuuri is so scared.

He just doesn't know what to do about it.

Instead he rambles. And is overly touchy. Maybe he's not being reassuring but damnit he doesn't know what else to do.

"This is Phichit. He's our team scientist, he helps with designing improvements to the ship. Which we install of course. He also designed all the pets on board." Victor gestures nervously to the ten or so robot hamsters wandering the vicinity. Yuuri's eyes get impossibly wider.

"Oh and yes. I never introduced you to Yurio." Victor spins around rapidly before Phichit has a chance to speak.

"He's our other mechanic on board but he's hoping to become a pilot. That's where you will come in.

"Victor-"

"That is if you want to, of course we can find a different job on board if you-"

"Victor."

"Or you know we could find a planet to resettle you, the options are really entirely."

"VICTOR!" Phichit throws a pencil at Victor's chest. "Who is that?"

"Ah. Yes. Funny story." Victor claps his hands together in the fashion of a frustrated walrus.

"This idiot reduced this moron from getting killed by the Ice Castle interrupting a planned out revenge in the process. They can take him back whenever they please. Isn't that fantastic."

Yuuri shoulders hunch and he bites down on his lip. Hard. His face tightens. He hugs himself shrinking inward.

He looks even smaller than when Victor first saw him.

Yuri realizes he may have gone to far but before he can say anything Phictet buts in. "Hey. Do you want to meet the rest of the scientific crew"

—-

Yuuri didn't know how to act. If this had been the Ice Castle yes, he would mess up again and again. He couldn't stop messing up.

he knew that

But here? Here he didn't even know when or why he would disappoint and that was the wort part. No one had told him the rules.

He should ask. Really that's what needs to happen. Except than what if Victor was terribly angry with him? Yuuri could handle a beating that's not what he was worried about. But what if they sent him back? Yuuri felt his chest tightening and the air around him was to thick. He couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he just be safe?

Victor was looking at him. Crap. Why was he looking at him.

—-

This was why they couldn't just pick up humans on the side of the road like they are puppies. Yuri noticed the mechnincic shrinking in on himself. Look at him. Good god. He couldn't help but see how familiar he looked.

Victor is stepping forward now. Clearly has no idea what he is going to say but that seems to be how it goes.

"Yuuri." His voice is soft, like he's trying not to scare off a frightened animal. Yuri supposes that's what Yuuri has become.

—

"Yuuri' Victor tries again.

Let's not panic. All Victor has to do is calm him down. Calm him down, and make him feel save and yup Victor has no idea what the hell he is doing. This is fantastic.

"Is there anything else you'd like to see?" Oh yes that's a brilliant idea. Good job Victor. Someone is panicking let's offer them a tour.

Yuuri flinches but shakes his head slowly.

—-

Yuuri is fine.

Look at how lucky he is. he's fine.

He knows what captains do when members of their ship aren't fine.

He knows how lucky he is to even be here. Alive. Taking up expensive oxygen. Taking up expensive space.

So when Victor asks him if he wants to see anything else, he shakes his head. He wonders if Victor is testing him. Seeing if he is too selfish to be allowed to stay.

Yuuri's not. Or he's trying not to be.

He'll get better.

He was selfish, really terribly selfish on the Ice Castle. He was bad.

That's why they had to kill him.

He's not going to be bad here. He's going to be fine. fine. fine and okay and he'll get better.

—-

Yuri stands at the edge of the lab. Trying not to recognize the pig they rescued.

Not that Yuri has seen him before today. He's just seen that look to many times.

At least he was able to get better before Victor picked him up.

—

They are walking back now. Yuuri doesn't know where they are going.

"If you need anything you can ask anyone on this ship and they will help. Ummm that's the bathroom we are out of soap now. I'll fix that. That's our ceiling vent-"

Does he realize how much he is talking?

Yuuri keeps his eyes glued to ground. He knows the rules. Don't look up. Don't snivel or cry. They aren't hard. He just needs to not screw up.

Then he runs straight into Victor knocking them both down.

—

Ouch. Victor should not have stopped in the middle of the hallway. He was pointing our another useless extremity on this ship. Now they are both sprawled out on this floor in this very narrow hallway. He's about to turn around and apologize, then he sees Yuuri.

He's jumped back at least a foot. He's on his knees.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't send me back. You can do whatever you want to me but just don't-" His voice breaks on don't and he keeps his head down.

"Yuuri" Victor starts. Yuuri flinches.

"Yuuri"Victor tries again, "Could you please look at me."

He looks up, he is biting down on his lip and tears are threatening to spill over.

"Yuuri I'm not going to hurt you."

Yuuri lets out a choked laugh.

"Yuuri."

He doesn't flinch this time.

"Yuuri may I touch you" Great phrasing Victor.

Yuuri nods.

Victor pulls him into a hug.

"I can't promise everything. Not out here. I can't promise that this will be easy. I can't promise that everything will always run perfectly. We are in space. So yes, I can't promise a lot. Not your happiness. Not even your safety. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But what I can promise, is that I will do everything I can for you and anyone on this ship. I cant promise. I can promise that I will never hurt you. I hope that's enough."

Yuuri's stopped crying. But Victor looks like he's about to start.

"Yeah. That's enough. That's more than enough. Oh my god" Yuuri smiles and for the first time in months he thinks that maybe just maybe everything will be alright.

 **Yeah... so hey. This update is really late and honestly I'm not supper happy with the end result.**

 **You probably don't want to hear excuses, but I've been getting home at 6 every day (musical) and have homework after that. That plus I've started way too many writing projects (right now I have a novel, a play,this and dungeons and dragons). That last one is my fault so I will try to be giving more of a priority to this however, I also wanted to do nanoedmo in march (edit 50 hours in a month.) So yeah!**

 **Like I said probably don't care about excuses but you guys should know why updates may take me longer in the future.**

 **New thing I'm doing (actually been doing this, just thought to announce it). All account reviewers get a sneak peak in their inbox. Just to show how much you guys are appreciated. Give and take and all that.**

 **Alright I'm done for now. Hopefully I'll see you next Monday.**

 **Best Wishes!**


	6. Update

Hey guys. Really sorry to do this but if nothing else I should be honest about what's happening with this story.

I really like this story (you may not believe it because of how often I update but I do.) I am going to keep going with it.. just not right now. Camp Nanowrimo is coming up and I think I'm going to focus on that, a problem I have is that I always have too many projects going on at once. That's part of the slow updates so in April I'm going to try to fix that. However that also means updates in April may not happen frequently or at all. Honestly I'd try to think of them as a pleasant surprise more than anything.

Also homework and AP tests and ACT. Honestly if I get any writing done in April it will be nothing short of a small miracle. You guys have all been really amazing and I'm sorry to do this to you.

Best Wishes!

TLDR: Hitaus for a while really sorry.


End file.
